Super Typhoon Yutu, the most powerful storm ever to hit U. S. territory, ravaged the Northern Mariana Islands — killing one person and destroying homes.
Oct. 26 (UPI) — Super Typhoon Yutu, the most powerful storm ever to hit U. S. territory, ravaged the Northern Mariana Islands — killing one person, cutting power and destroying homes.
The storm brought winds near 180 mph when it made landfall on Tinian and Saipan Thursday. Forecasters said it’s now headed to the northern Philippines and southern Taiwan.
Officials said a woman died when a building she was taking shelter in collapsed .
Meteorologists said Yutu, the most powerful storm so far this year, is expected to have the power equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane when it hits land again.
Residents on Saipan and Tinian are just starting to assess the damage.
« This was like a huge, super-crazy weather event that’s all but destroyed the island, » teacher Ashley Beck told the Wall Street Journal . « I know very few people who haven’t sustained damage so bad that it makes their houses almost uninhabitable. I don’t know where my students are. »
It could be months before water and electricity are restored to the Northern Mariana Islands. That has some residents of the U. S. commonwealth hopeful they will receive aid from the federal government.
« We want people to remember we are Americans and we exist, » island lawmaker Edwin Propst said.
Yutu remains a dangerous super typhoon, located 136 miles northeast of Guam, also a U. S. commonwealth and home to Andersen Air Force Base.
The U. S. Federal Emergency Management Agency had water and food supplies ready to go at the air base for Typhoon Mangkhut last month, which didn’t cause nearly as much damage as expected. Those supplies are now going to relief efforts for Yutu.
